


Moments (and Feelings) of Regret (and Love)

by Starlight_Adventurer



Category: Xenoblade Chronicles
Genre: Dunban is Hot, Feels, Fluff and Angst, He has a Gay Panic(tm), M/M, Reyn in Denial, Warm and Fuzzy Feelings, i don't make the rules
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-24
Updated: 2020-03-13
Packaged: 2021-02-26 01:41:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,746
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21925357
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Starlight_Adventurer/pseuds/Starlight_Adventurer
Summary: What happens when one of your two best friends asks you to distract their older brother so they can go on dates with other people?Certainly not you falling in love with said older brother.Too bad Reyn missed that memo.
Relationships: Alvis/Shulk (Xenoblade Chronicles), Dunban/Reyn (Xenoblade Chronicles), Melia Ancient | Melia Antiqua/Fiora
Comments: 4
Kudos: 38





	1. A Moment of Weakness

Reyn would consider himself a good friend. Maybe he would go as far as to say a ‘great friend’. There was almost nothing he wouldn’t do for all of his friends, especially Shulk and Fiora, be it fighting a horde of deadly creatures or facing a god. If he could do it, or even if he couldn’t, Reyn was there to meet any challenge for the happiness of his friends. 

There were, however, some things not even he could bare in the name of friendship. One of these things was listening to both of his best friends complain about Dunban trying to set them up on dates despite their insistence that neither of them liked the other anymore. 

The pair had tried dating once the business with Zanza was finished but they had found their attention being taken elsewhere among their larger group of friends. 

Despite his exit seeming like a last farewell, Alvis had returned to the colony under the guise of ‘monitoring’ their progress. Shulk had quickly made himself part of this task, spending as much time as possible in his company. Fiora had actually found companionship with Melia as the princess had already given up on her crush on Shulk, instead focusing on the integration of High Entia culture with that of the Homs and Machina. Both had admitted to enjoying getting closer through their adventure (regardless of the peril and initial reason for their bonding). 

This left Reyn with two sulky, lovestruck friends who had been tricked into another romantic situation. Shulk thought ahead this time and dragged Reyn along to make it a friendly meetup instead of a date. The three of them sat at a table meant for two while Nopon bustled around them serving food and taking orders. 

Fiora rested her elbows on the table, chin in her hands, and sighed, “I can’t take this anymore. I was supposed to be going on a date with Melia tonight. Some of the High Entia scientist are mapping constellations and we were going to help name them.” 

“We could always try talking to Dunban again,” Shulk suggested quietly. 

“He won’t listen, no matter how much I insist that we are no longer seeing each other,” Fiora complained making Shulk nod in understanding. 

“There’s always...” Shulk argued as Reyn choice to zone out of their conversation. He scanned the room around them to find it moderately packed, making the space feel full but not crowded. It was a nice spot for a date. Too bad he wasn’t there to enjoy it. At least Reyn was getting free food out of this, keeping things positive. 

He leant back on his chair, trying to catch the attention of a free waiter. Eventually one noticed his half-hearted signal and waddled their way over to the table. He turned his attention away from them to interrupt his friends’ conversation. Shulk was in the middle of musing aloud, “What if we had a large public breakup, so that everyone knows that we’re separated. Dunban would have to realise then.” 

Reyn internally sighed at the idea, he interjected quickly before Fiora could respond, “Are we going to order or what? I’m hungry.” 

The blonde duo snapped out of their concentration. They glanced at Reyn, the waiter then each other before hastily glancing over the menu and muttering their order, a slight blush dusting Fiora’s cheeks as she ordered dessert instead of a meal. Reyn ordered the largest thing on the menu making the Nopon smile. They bowed cheerily then waddled away to the kitchen. 

Fiora continued the conversation flatly, “While that would solve our problem, Dunban may come at you with a sword if you ‘break my heart’.” 

“We could take him,” Shulk countered, gesturing between himself and Reyn. 

“Maybe when you were a god, we fight him now and they’d never find our bodies,” Reyn joked. He chuckled to himself. Fiora pouted at him while Shulk shook his head in resignation. Reyn shrugged and asked, “What? He’s got years of combat experience.” 

At that, the trio fell into an awkward silence. Fiora and Shulk seemed to be lost in thought while Reyn accepted that he was stuck there until someone came up with a plan (or at least until the restaurant closed). Eventually the food came, to the happiness of his stomach, forcing them into another, this time comfortable, silence. 

Fiora picked at the cake in front of her in boredom. She looked up from her food to see Shulk doing something similar while Reyn ate as normal. If ‘normal’ was considered to be placing as much as possible into one’s mouth then occasionally struggling to swallow it in the haste to enjoy a meal. Some other patrons also took note of his rambunctious style of eating, some choosing to whisper while staring whereas others outright grimaced at him. 

She giggled at his lack of attention for those around him. Although, she would admit that he was a welcome distraction to the current situation. Fiora pulled her awareness back to her food until a thought passed through her head. 

Her fork clattered onto the table causing both men to give her an inquisitive look. She clapped her hands and smiled as she voiced, “I just had a wonderful idea!” 

“What is it?” Shulk asked and Reyn nodded to second the question, mouth still full of food. 

“What if we have someone distract Dunban while we go on dates? It’s like what do call it? Um...” She answered surely at first before stuttering and trailing off at the end. 

“Running interference?” Shulk offered helpfully. 

“Yes! That’s it! We’ll someone run interference!” Fiora exclaimed with a tone of positive finality. 

Reyn swallowed his food then inquired, “That sounds like a good idea but who’d be willing to distract Dunban long enough for you guys to pull it off.” 

“Well...” Fiora began slyly. She smirked, catching Shulk’s eye, then leaned on her elbow to look fully at Reyn. Shulk caught onto her thought process and gave his friend a charming smile. Reyn glanced at the pair then behind himself and back to them. Realisation then dread passed over his features before Fiora pleaded, “Please Reyn! I know it’s a lot to ask but you’re the only one we can trust to do this for us.” 

“But what if something happens? I don’t think Dunban’ll be happy if he finds out,” Reyn reasoned nervously. 

“Then we’ll take responsibility, no questions asked,” Shulk consoled. His smile softened, “we both trust you and in your abilities. I don’t think anything will go wrong.” 

“You say that now but-” Reyn went to argue. He cut himself off when Fiora grabbed his hand. 

She held it tightly, hope shimmering in her eyes, and urged him softly, “it’ll be a big favour, we’ll repay you with interest.” 

“Interest?” Reyn asked under his breath. 

“It means that we’ll owe you a larger favour in return,” Shulk answered seriously. 

Reyn sank into his chair under their earnest gazes. He thought over his options; the first option being to not help his friends and feel bad about it for a long time while option two risked upsetting Dunban. He didn’t know how Dunban would react but he had known his best friends long enough to know how much they wanted this. 

He sighed deeply, squeezing Fiora’s hand minutely, then agreed, “Okay I’ll do it, and forget about that ‘interest’ stuff. We’re friends and that’s what we do.” 

“You’re the best,” Fiora cheered. She let go off his hand to turn back to her dessert and take a large piece. She raised it slightly before announcing, “This calls for more dessert. Although we should probably hurry with our meal if we want that.” 

“Agreed,” Shulk murmured in reply, turning back to his own meal. 

“Finally, I can eat in peace,” Reyn sighed happily. He resumed eating. However, his pace was hindered by the new concerns appearing in his head. 

He wasn’t the kind of person to go back on their word but this was risky. None of them was sure the plan would work or how Dunban would react if he found out. Nevertheless, Reyn was also never one to back down from a challenge, he assured himself as such as he ate. The two lines of thought seemed equally loud in his head against the pleasant conversation filling the room. 

With his mind full of conflict, Reyn lost his appetite for dessert by the end of the meal. Fiora had insisted on getting something to take with him. Although Reyn made her take it instead, she had unconsciously ordered Melia’s favourite anyway so he was doing both of them a favour. 

She gave him a grateful smile as they left the restaurant. Despite feeling uncomfortable under his friend’s gaze, Reyn was happy to swap the stuffy air of the inside for the cool, chilly night breeze against his skin. He almost couldn’t believe how late it had gotten. Yet, he was glad that it meant that not many people would be around to hear their scheming – the less people know about this when it blows up in his face the better. 

Drawing him away from his worries, Fiora gasped up at the sky. The two men looked up to see the expanse of stars above them. The clear cobalt of space was dotted by a myriad of lights, more than Reyn would ever try to count. They observed the view in silence for a moment before Fiora asked wistfully, “What would you two make a constellation of?” 

“Well, that group of there looks like an archer,” Shulk answered hesitantly trying to point at the specific cluster of stars he was referring to. Reyn and Fiora tilted their heads to see. Fiora nodded with excitement showing on her face. The former of the pair, however, struggled to visualise it and muttered, “I don’t see anything.” 

Fiora laughed lightly at his confession as Shulk tried to explain it further. She got louder as the pair began bickering on whether or not the blonde was making it up. Reyn was just about to start yelling when another voice joined their argument, “I have to agree with Shulk on this matter, we charted the same group of stars earlier.” 

The trio went quiet and focused on their new addition. Melia came up the path towards them, giving a small smile that matched the grace of her steps. She bowed her head slightly and greeted, “Good evening, I apologise for adding myself to the discussion so suddenly. However, the archer is evident if one is to look hard enough.” 

Reyn squinted at the sky again then protested, “This is stupid, constellations are just drawings in the sky. Why do we need them?” 

“The High Entia ships often use them for navigation and some are even used to tell stories,” Melia informed him. 

“What kind of stories?” Fiora asked as she looked up at the sky once more. 

“It varies on the subject of said tales. A great many of them are tragedies, often of loss of life or love, meant to pass on the wisdom of previous generations,” Melia explained, joining her friends in their stargazing. 

Reyn thought for a moment then asked half-heartedly, “Any about tricking your friend’s older brother to hide that they’re dating?” 

“Pardon?” Melia questioned incredulously. She observed the trio, asking, “What have you three been up to all evening? Besides the surprise dinner Fiora informed me of when cancelling our plans.” 

Fiora sighed in resignation, “We planned a way for us to spent more time together, that’s all.” 

“It sounds like a little more than that,” Melia countered with a raised eyebrow. 

“You can say that again,” Reyn quipped, receiving an elbow to the stomach from Fiora while Shulk placed his head in his hand. He winced and rubbed the affected area, “What was that for?” 

Ignoring his friend, Shulk informed Melia honestly, “Reyn is going to be distracting Dunban while we go on dates, that’s all.” 

“And you volunteered for this?” Melia asked sceptically, observing Reyn’s reaction as his posture slumped minutely and he muttered in agreement. A look of suspicion flashed across her face until she shrugged her shoulders and exhaled, “Very well, I suppose I will play along with this. However, I will warn all of you, should Dunban hear word of this I will shoulder none of the blame.” 

“He’s not going to find out, Reyn will sort everything out. Right, Reyn?” Fiora asked sweetly as she went to hug Melia from the side. 

“Sure, yeah, absolutely...” Reyn assured weakly. 

“That settles it,” Fiora ended the conversation with those words before pulling Melia with her as the group began walking in the direction of her house. Reyn and Shulk hung back to allow the couple some privacy. The blonde glanced at his friend from the corner of his eye then asked, “Are you certain about doing this? We can figure something else out.” 

Reyn sighed, dragging a hand through his hair then down his face, “It’s fine.” 

“As long as you’re sure,” Shulk spoke unsurely, his eyes downcast. 

The taller man noticed his friend’s hesitance and wrapped his arm around his shoulders in a hug. He chuckled, “Don’t sweat it. I’ve got it handled.” Shulk gave an unsure smile. Reyn made a face, which he would deny was a pout, before shaking his friend until he started laughing. 

A light-hearted atmosphere seemed to settle on the group for the rest of their walk home. Each member split from the group, goodbyes were exchanged as well as promises to meet up the next day, until Reyn was left to walk the rest of the way to the barracks by himself. 

Without his friends, Reyn let his earlier worries come to the forefront of his mind. 

They were all depending on him, but what was he going to do? 

Dunban was a smart guy. Reyn knew that if he acted out of character that the other man would catch on quick and interrogate answers out of him pretty quickly, not that Reyn was one to easily give up his friend’s secrets but he wasn’t as stupid as everyone thought – Dunban could and would get the information out of him. So, whatever he did had to be perfectly planned and executed. He just had to act like he normally did. 

Yeah... 

He could do that. 

Act perfectly normal, as if nothing was going on that Dunban needed to be suspicious of.


	2. A Moment of Secrecy

Reyn was in the middle of training when one of his best friends approached him about helping pull off one of their dates. 

It was Shulk. 

He and Alvis were in the middle of writing up the history of the Mechonis and Bionis. It was not the most romantic way to spend their private time but Shulk had expressed the importance of passing on history and learning from it, a sentiment made all the more important now that they had to work together. However, Fiora had urged Shulk to do it in a more romantic place than his house so they were spending their day at a point overlooking the Colony. 

After explaining their plans, Shulk made himself scarce which left Reyn to uphold his part of the deal – keeping Dunban occupied for the day. He informed his superior officer, who just gave him an unimpressed look and a dismissive gesture before turning back to the other soldiers, that he was leaving for the day. Satisfied that he wouldn’t be reprimanded for leaving early, Reyn left his weapon in the barracks then set out into town. 

The market was being set up, creating an air of excitement as well as a small crowd in the centre of the Colony. Reyn waded through people as gently as he could, apologising quietly to anyone who he bumped or fell into, until he broke out of the crowd and stumbled into the door of his destination. He stepped back to rub his head, listening for movement behind the wood. 

Eventually Fiora opened the door, surprise darting across her features before it was replaced by a knowing smile, and greeted him, “Good morning, did you need something?” 

“You know why I’m here, don’t make this any more awkward than it needs to be,” Reyn grumbled under his breath making her laugh. She shook her head smiling then gestured for him to come inside. Taking the invitation, Reyn stepped inside the house while Fiora went to another room. He heard a muted conversation before she returned with Dunban beside her. 

She glanced between them for a moment then announced, “I’ll be leaving now. I need to pick up ingredients for dinner, any requests?” Fiora focused on her older brother, who gave her a warm smile before answering that ‘anything was fine’ and to ‘be safe’. Satisfied with his answer, she gave Reyn a pat on her arm then left them alone – silently staring at each other as Reyn tried to figure out a way to make the situation play out well. 

Dunban took the silence in stride, casually observing the younger man with his arms crossed in front of his chest, and inquired, “Is everything alright? Fiora mentioned that you needed something.” 

Reyn internally cursed at her while answering slowly, “Well... I was wondering if you needed any help around the Colony. Since, everyone else is busy and all.” The other man regarded him sceptically causing him to blabber uselessly, “Not that I’m saying you can’t do it on your own, or that you’re doing it alone with everyone in the Colony working together but the more, the merrier. Right?” 

The silence returned for a moment, in which Reyn wished he was somewhere else and Dunban was narrowing his eyes, until the latter chuckled and let his arms drop, “It’s nice of you to offer. I was in the middle of looking over stock requests from some of the traders which need to be fulfilled. I would appreciate help with those, there are more than I had expected there would be.” 

“I can do that,” Reyn insisted with more force than he meant. 

Dunban, thankfully, wasn’t startled by his reaction and chuckled. He turned and turned to a stack of sacks on a nearby table instructing Reyn to grab them while he gathered the requests. While Dunban left the room, Reyn slumped, having tensed without realising, and did as instructed. 

Everything was fine, he assured himself as such. Dunban didn’t suspect anything. He just had to do this for a few hours then he could retreat to his bed and forget how much of an ass he was making of himself in that moment. 

It was just a few hours; he could do this. 

(-----X-----) 

This was a mistake. 

Reyn repeated that thought in his head, feeling every fibre of his being agreeing with him, as he lugged what felt like a Gogol down a hill behind Dunban. They had been across all of the land surrounding the Colony to gather materials from creatures and foraging. Reyn had to admit he was interested about how many wild plants were edible, despite how they looked and smelled and had thorns, but he was getting tired and parts of him were starting to ache. 

The older man made a thoughtful sound and turned to his companion to ask, “Need any help with that?” 

“No...” Reyn strained himself to say, his back giving protest to the movement. He gave a shaky smile and hoped it was enough to placate the other’s concern. His stomach sank when Dunban narrowed his eyes, observing his every move. This was short-lived, however, as he smiled mirthfully and shook his head with a chuckle. He turned back to his list then asked, “Would you accept doing any more requests, given that your arms are currently full?” 

Reyn noticed his amused tone and found himself answering somewhat insulted, “Who do you think I am? This is nothing, bring it on!” 

“If you insist,” Dunban replied with minute exasperation marking his tone. He pointed down the hill and instructed, “The next request is from the restaurant for fruit, a lot of it.” 

“How much?” Reyn leant over his shoulder to see the list. He glanced over the crossed-out writing, slightly taken aback by how nice Dunban’s handwriting was, before spluttering over the written number, “Three hundred!? Why would they need that many?” 

“Given that they are the only restaurant in the Colony at the moment, they are quite popular,” Dunban reasoned aloud. He pocketed his paper then continued, “I’ve heard that the food there is something special though.” 

“Whoever told you that was right,” Reyn commented lightly. 

Dunban chuckled, “Fiora mentioned how much you liked the food the other evening.” His easy-going tone dropped as he added, “I do have to apologise for the fact that you were dragged along on one of their dates.” 

Reyn hoped that he didn’t notice the small stumble in his steps. He laughed uncomfortably when Dunban did, in fact, notice and stopped walking to raise an eyebrow at him. Thinking fast, Reyn rubbed the back of his neck while asking with mock innocence, “It was a date?” 

“Did it not seem like one?” Dunban questioned in surprise. Reyn kind of felt bad for him; he was only trying to help but didn’t realise how much of a problem he was causing. 

The younger man waved his hand dismissively and joked, “Don’t sweat it, the restaurant was super romantic. I was just invited for the free food.” 

“I see...” Dunban muttered, amusement and disappointing mixing to make his seem tired overall. He shook his head and recovered from his decrease in mood by saying, “Well if you enjoy free food that much, you’ll have to let me repay you for your assistance today with a meal.” 

“You don’t have to do that,” Reyn blurted out, cringing at how awkward it sounded coming from him. He chastised himself when Dunban gave him another worried look. It took everything he had not to blow the whole plan to bail himself out of the hole he’d dug but Reyn stiffly muttered, “It’s cool. This didn’t really feel like a chore, it was fun, you know.” 

As soon as the words left his mouth, Reyn was sure that he’d messed up. 

Nervousness soon turned to mortification as Dunban blinked at him a couple times before throwing his head back to laugh. He went on for a few minutes, stopping when it turned into a sound similar to wheezing, then clapped a hand on Reyn’s shoulder. The older man regained his composure before he spoke, “If that’s how you feel, I’ll have to invite you to fulfil requests with me from now on.” 

Reyn smiled, it was fine, everything was going to plan. He nodded, “Sounds like a plan.” 

It sounded like his plan to be more specific. 

(-----X-----) 

By the time the next date rolled around Reyn had gotten used to spending almost all of his free time with Dunban. 

In this time, he had grown accustomed to running around gathering supplies for the Colony as well as assisting his friend in other everyday tasks. Reyn had also learned how much work maintaining a settlement like theirs took and he had to admit he was impressed, as well as curious as to when Dunban actually slept. 

Getting back to his current situation, Reyn was covering another date for Shulk by learning how to fish from Dunban. They had been at it for hours before he managed to catch anything, but even then they had to let it go because it was too small; he was kind of embarrassed by how bad he was at it. 

Dunban, however, simply observed him with an amused smile and offered helpful comments when Reyn began to get frustrated. This was most likely due to the fact that whenever he got annoyed, he rocked the boat they were sitting in and Dunban wanted to avoid the unscheduled swim that would accompany the boat turning over, not that Reyn felt like going for a swim either. 

He was in the middle of complaining about how hard fishing was, Dunban looking exasperated as he ranted, when the line of his rod went taut. The rod itself was almost yanked out Reyn’s hand before he reflexively grabbed it and had his arm pulled with it. The boat jerked, tilting on its side, as he halted the rod’s movement and pulled it back. 

Reyn grinned as he felt whatever was on the other end of the line begin to give under his tugging. He was certain that this was going to be a lot bigger than the last one, maybe even bigger than the boat. Before he could get his hopes up, however, another thing caught his attention on the shore. 

Tension left his arms, grip slipping on the rod, when he noticed a familiar pair sat upon the shore. Shulk and Alvis sat conversing on the sandy beach with the waves lapping at the ground in front of them. Reyn knew they hadn’t seen them out on the water, otherwise they would have left already, and was also glad that Dunban was facing him in that moment. 

The feeling of the boat rocking brought his gaze back to the boat, especially the man in front of him trying to grapple with his catch using his good arm. Reyn yelped then lunged to help only to realise the mistake of putting too much weight on one side of the boat too late to stop himself. He crashed into Dunban and felt the edge of the boat follow him. 

He didn’t hear the splash, but rather felt it. 

The pair hit the water hard. The ocean was cold, in the way that a cold shower would wake someone up in the morning, and Reyn tensed at the feeling of it against his skin. Wanting to escape the water, he swam up and gracelessly breached the surface before hitting the top of the upturned boat. 

Reyn heard a ‘thunk’ from the other side of the boat followed by Dunban calling, “Reyn? Are you alright?” He didn’t answer as he turned to the beach behind him and found the pair on the shore watching them. 

Shulk seemed like he was about to call over to them which Reyn stopped by raising his arm in a halting motion. He then widely gestured for them to leave lest they be discovered by the very person he was trying to distract for them. They got the message and left the beach without looking back, allowing to Reyn to relax. 

This was short-lived as Dunban surfaced in front of him, startling him enough to hit his head on the side of the boat. The older man held a stern expression and asked, “What happened? You didn’t answer.” Reyn let his gaze dart to the shore before meeting Dunban’s stare, hoping the action wouldn’t be noticed. The other man, however, followed his gaze and turned to glance at the beach himself, confused when nothing stood out to him, then put his attention back on Reyn. He inquired seriously, “Is everything alright? You seem distracted. How badly did you hit your head?” 

Reyn frantically shook his head and answered awkwardly, “No! I’m fine...” He gave a weak smile when Dunban didn’t seem convinced. 

Then, without warning, Dunban swam closer until their chests touched and grabbed the sides of his head. Reyn was about to jerk away from his grip and yell at him but stopped when Dunban started tilting his head to inspect him for injuries. This went on for a few moments, in which Reyn allowed himself to be manhandled, until the older man was satisfied. He put space between them before saying, “Well you didn’t badly hit your head, so I’ll take your word for it.” 

Reyn opened his mouth to complain about his actions but found the words dying in his throat at the sight of Dunban’s warm smile and eyes reflecting genuine concern. He coughed, forcing himself to act normal despite the flurry of emotions he was experiencing, and muttered, “Yeah... We should probably give up on trying to catch anything, since it’s getting late. Pretty sure the rod is gone too, damn fish.” 

At that, Dunban laughed but didn’t object. The pair worked together to turn the boat over and row back to shore. Once they were there Reyn gave the other a quiet ‘see you’ then left him alone. 

When he reached town, people gave him a wide berth as he left a wet trail behind him all the way to the barracks. This continued on the base as his superior chastising him, assuming he’d done something stupid to end up that wet, and Reyn couldn’t find it in himself to correct him in any way. 

After being dismissed, he ended his day with a shower and an early turn in. Although, he was unable to slip into a peaceful sleep like he wanted. 

He lay awake listening to his own thoughts; he wondered why Dunban had messed with him like that and why he’d let it happen. Many answers came to mind to both those queries but none of them seemed to quell the worry building in his heart. 

Reyn shook his head and tried to dismiss his own feelings; when that didn’t work, he settled into his bed and muttered, “Damn feelings...” 

(-----X-----) 

Neither of them mentioned the fishing incident, a thing which Reyn was grateful for, as they continued to spend time together. However, as Fiora and Shulk went on more dates with their respective partners, Reyn found himself placed into more awkward situations with Dunban – including the one in which he currently found himself. 

Reyn sat across from Dunban, in the very restaurant where this entire fiasco began, trying his hardest to hold a meaningful conversation with the other man while they waited for their food to arrive. He had jumped around topics in an attempt to find a mutual interest, while Dunban quietly watched with expressions ranging from mild amusement to pity, before sighing and slouching into his chair. 

Dunban hid his grin behind his hand as he consoled, “I don’t know what’s gotten into you, but you don’t have to force yourself to make conversation. I find silence quite pleasant in good company.” 

Reyn sank further back in his seat muttering, “That’s cool, I guess.” He crossed his arms over his chest and looked at the ceiling, the most boring place in the room. Mind coming up blank on ideas for what to do next, Reyn allowed himself to stop worrying and relaxed to the sounds filling the disquiet restaurant, if only for a few moments. 

He heard Dunban shifting in his own seat and tilted his head forwards to find the older man looking at him thoughtfully. Realising he had been caught staring, Dunban smiled at Reyn and apologised for doing so, but neglected to stop. The pair held eye contact as he, finally, voiced his thoughts, “I’ve just been wondering why you decided to take up my offer of dinner.” 

“Uh...” Reyn stalled as his brain raced through several explanations, each more absurd than the last, until his mouth started working again, “Free food?” 

“Are you asking or telling me?” Dunban joked. 

“Yes...” Reyn answered and then cursed himself internally. He hid his face in his hand, ignoring the way Dunban was failing to hide his amusement. Said ‘free food’ was brought to the table in the time it took Dunban to stop laughing and Reyn to regain any semblance of dignity in front of the other man. Reyn chose to correct himself before he started eating, “I was telling you. I’m just here for the free food.” 

“Alright,” Dunban finished their exchange with a smirk. With that, they fell into an agreeable silence. 

Reyn was glad that he got to enjoy the food this time, even with the circumstances being worse in his opinion, as it tasted better than he remembered it being. He, however, held himself back from eating in the same way he had last time – as not to draw any unneeded attention to their table. He also didn’t need Dunban’s opinion of him sinking any lower than it already had. 

Although, his good mood soon soured as he heard the door to the restaurant open and watched as Fiora escorted Melia into the building. They sat down at a table behind Dunban before Fiora caught him staring, her face matching the look of shock on his own. He had to pull his attention away when Dunban questioned, “What’s wrong? You look surprised.” 

To stop him from turning around, Reyn hastily yelled, “No!” The noise startled the people sitting around them as well as the man in front of him. Dunban’s expression went from concerned to shocked to stern in the moments it took Reyn to mentally backtrack and attempt to correct himself verbally, “No, everything is fine. Totally fine. Just surprised by how good the food is.” 

Dunban remained unconvinced and moved to look behind himself once more. Reyn gripped the fork in his hand and darted across the table to steal food from his plate. Dunban put his full attention on Reyn as he ate the stolen forkful and flashed a cocky grin. The older man reacted flatly when he slyly commented, “Not bad, maybe I’ll eat yours too since you seem more interested in looking back there.” He pointed behind Dunban, straight at Melia and Fiora – the latter of whom was watching them intently – as they ordered their food, as he spoke and laughed at the flat look it earned him. 

Forgetting about whatever was behind him, Dunban smirked and countered, “Brave words coming from someone who is having their meal paid for by the same man he is stealing from.” Reyn’s face dropped at his words and he couldn’t hold back from openly laughing. 

Reyn chuckled nervously in return as he felt someone staring at him. He caught Fiora’s eyes behind her brother once more. She was watching them with a look of bewilderment and something Reyn couldn’t quite figure out. Melia took notice of her girlfriend’s attention being directed away from their table then shifted in her seat to see Reyn as well. 

When he received a bland stare and a gesturing of her head to the side, Reyn trailed his gaze back to Dunban to find the older man watching him with a pleased smile. Looking down at his plate, he picked at the food on it. He felt the other man’s gaze resting on him for a few moments after before he began eating again, as well. 

The meal passed without incident after that; Reyn continued to slip glances at both Dunban and Fiora as he ate. 

It was only until the end of the evening that things went wrong. 

Without Reyn realising it, both pairs stood from their tables to leave the restaurant. He stopped, motionless, along with Fiora and Melia while Dunban continued to prepare himself to exit the building, oblivious to the looks being cast across the room behind him. Fiora half-watched her brother while wordlessly pleading with Reyn. 

He knew he had to think of something fast. While glancing at Dunban, who was conversing with the waiter about payment, then at the table in front of him, a thought came to mind. 

Reyn stilled his nerves and signalled towards the door, internally sighing in relief when she nodded and motioned for Melia to follow. 

Leaving them to their escape, he went to take a step towards Dunban but faked tripping over his own foot sending him crashing forward. It created the distraction he intended; Reyn, however, did not predict that he would hit the table and cause it to flip over him with everything resting on top of it also falling onto him. 

He stayed where he had fallen, frozen under the realisation that he had just made a total ass of himself in public in front of someone he had respected since childhood. Then he shivered as leftovers from the plate resting on the back of his head slid across his neck. Shame shot through him when whispers started emerging from previous pockets of silence, only quieted by the sounds of wasted food and drink dripping from his person. 

Dunban must be judging him right now. That thought lanced through his mind and mortification carved itself, like a knife, through his heart. Reyn felt an involuntary heat develop across his cheeks when a recognisable set of boots stepped into the edge of his vision before he was asked, “Are you alright? Do you need help standing up?” 

Reyn knew he probably looked awful in that moment but all he could focus on was the rapid beating in his chest as a hand was placed in front of him. 

Ignoring the offer, his line of sight trailed up Dunban’s arm, across his shoulder and stopped on his face. The tender smile that adorned said face did something to Reyn’s insides that he’d rather not think about, ever. The pair stared at each other for an indeterminable amount of time until Reyn shifted and moved to stand by himself. 

Dunban went to assist the younger man as he faltered but was stopped when Reyn flinched away from him. He offered a weak smile and explained quietly, “Don’t want you to get dirty.” Reyn bowed his head, unable to think of anything else to say to make the situation better. 

Most likely sensing the other’s discomfort, Dunban apologised to the waiter for the damage and offered to pay – which was refused by the grateful Nopon – before following Reyn out of the restaurant. 

Unlike his last exit from that stuffy space, Reyn felt the wind brush against his sticky skin and shuddered. He held himself, curling his arms around his chest and tucking his hands under his arms. Still not brave enough to look at his companion, he watched his own feet as he walked – comparing the timing of steps to that of his quivering heart. Dunban observed him mutely and the feeling of his eyes on him made Reyn want to hide somewhere no one would ever find him. 

There was a part of Reyn that didn’t understand why he was reacting the way he was. Yet, his usual confident attitude was lost under a mountain of timidity, a fuzzy feeling Reyn refused to name and confusion. While the other part of him wanted to give into his internal discord and run away. 

The choice was taken away, however, when Dunban broke the silence between them with the question, “Reyn, is something going on that you’re not telling me?” Reyn went still. The older man halted beside him and watched as several emotions passed over his face. Although, Reyn didn’t answer his question. Dunban tried again, “Reyn, just tell me what’s going on. If it’s affecting you this much then surely it’s important enough for me to be concerned.” 

Reyn was taken aback by the sincerity of his words. He almost gave the entire secret then and there before he steeled his resolve and shook his head violently and dismissed shortly, “It’s nothing, just leave it alone.” 

“Reyn, please,” Dunban pleaded softly. He placed a hand on Reyn’s upper arm, a steadying touch, then went on, “I’m here to listen.” 

Acting on instinct, Reyn shoved him away and stepped back to stare wide-eyed as Dunban failed to catch himself at the sudden aggression and landed on the ground with a thud. He flinched at the glare sent his way and attempted to apologise, “I-I... I...” Dunban could only watch as he failed to voice his thoughts and so turned tail as fast as his legs could carry him. 

He ignored the yell that followed him, too focused on keeping himself upright against the sinking dread in his stomach. Reyn barely reached the barracks before his legs gave out underneath him. He hit the stone path with enough momentum to skid along its surface. He rolled onto his back with a hiss to see a cloudy night sky, stars totally hidden and the moons nothing more than spotlights behind a curtain. 

Reyn lifted his arms to press the bottom of his palms against his eyes. 

He’d messed up. Dunban probably hated him now, but not more than he hated himself. He'd have to spill everything next time they met. Fiora and Shulk would hate him then too. Everything was going wrong and he didn’t know how to fix it, he couldn’t fix it. 

A yell ripped itself from his throat, taking with it the last shred of his energy. 

‘You’re so stupid’ was the last thing his brain latched onto before sleep took him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked this! Do write a comment if you did, I love reading them!


	3. A Moment of Uncertainty

Dunban and Melia regularly met for tea at the latter’s house. They used these sessions to chat about various goings-on within the Colony as well as seek advice on their personal lives, both trusting the other to offer sound advice informed by years of experience. This ritual had been neglected due to Melia secretly dating Fiora and Dunban being unknowingly distracted by Reyn from said secret. 

After so long Melia had not expected the man to knock on her door and request advice on something, completely out of the blue. Although, she was curious as to what was bothering him and thus invited him inside and prepared their usual beverage – along with some cookies Fiora had given her earlier in the week. 

Only moments after they sat down, Melia listened as Dunban recounted the previous evening from his own perspective before commenting, “Oh dear, and then he ran away? Just like that?” 

“Yes, I haven’t seen him since. When I went to the barracks, they told me he had left to train somewhere else for the day,” Dunban lamented. He took a sip of his tea then added, “This is better than last time, a new blend?” 

“You’re correct. Something the Nopon traders whipped up, they’re quite proud of it,” she explained with a smile. Melia’s thoughts, however, were far from the topic of tea as she thought over the information she had been given. 

She had originally agreed to Reyn distracting under the pretence that no one would come to harm over it, but it sounded like Reyn was the one hurting. The younger man, while dense at times, must have figured out his own feelings if his actions were anything to go off of. Melia’s heart went out to him as she considered how difficult the situation must be for him, balancing his promise to his friends with the emotional tax of lying to someone he so obviously cared for. 

Choosing to speak carefully but honestly, Melia offered by asking, “What do you think of his actions? You two have been spending an increasing amount of time together, you also seem closer because of it.” 

“You think so?” Dunban asked reflexively, giving Melia an incredulous look. 

“Do you not?” She questioned with wide eyes. Melia regained her composure and elaborated, “There’s something in the way that you two interact with one another that remains ineffable. Yet, I can say for certain that Reyn seems different when he is around you.” 

Dunban went silent, his inner voice talking as he got lost in his thoughts. 

He looked back on the last few weeks, especially the many moments he had spent with Reyn, and considered every instance in which the other had acted out of character. While nothing stood out about them, at least when Dunban thought about his own actions, he knew that something had to be bothering Reyn – he just didn’t know what. He began voicing this conclusion as Melia listened intently. 

He sighed near the end of his long speech before finishing with frustration lacing his tone, “But if he refuses to tell me what’s wrong, I can’t help.” 

“I know,” Melia pointed out, “But think, why would he push you away?” 

“What do you mean?” Dunban asked. 

“Answer this, instead: why tell a person a secret that involves them?” Melia clarified before returning to her tea. She hummed at the pleasant taste but paid attention as Dunban considered what he had been asked. 

Dunban had mulled over the idea of the secret involving him, it was an obvious line of speculation, but had found it unlikely as he had done nothing to Reyn before his change in attitude. However, Melia’s words made him consider it more and he found it made sense in retrospect. Neither Fiora nor Shulk had come to him in concern for their friend and so he must have been the only one Reyn was acting differently around. 

He wondered if he had done something to offend the other, but came up blank as to what. So, perhaps it was an action solely from Reyn’s side of the disagreement. If so, he would respect his friend’s wish to keep it to himself until such time that he could confide in him once more. 

Dunban smiled at his conclusion. He could do that. 

Yet, a small part of him wondered how long he would have to wait and whether or not he would be able to resist the temptation to pry, if only to lift the weight resting on Reyn’s shoulders. 

\--- 

It was only a few days later that Dunban got his answer. 

(-----X-----) 

Reyn knew he should have stayed in bed. 

He realised that fact as he stood opposite Fiora in the middle of group training with everyone in his platoon, as well as Fiora herself, waiting expectantly for him to answer the question she had just asked him. Reyn set down his weapon and asked, “Could you say that again?” 

“Will you help me to persuade Dunban to take a day off? Please,” Fiora asked again. She eagerly watched as he glanced around them, noting all of the pairs of eyes staring, and rubbed the back of his neck. Reyn sighed in defeat not long after and answered quietly, “I don’t think that’s a good idea...” 

Fiora blinked up at him and questioned, “Why? Did something happen after Melia and I left the other day?” 

“You could say that...” Reyn started then noticed the crowd around them getting more and more interested in the conversation. He grabbed Fiora’s hand and left the training area to find privacy behind the barracks, as Fiora stumbled behind him. Satisfied that no one else would hear, Reyn leant against the building and confessed, “I messed up so bad. I’d be surprised if Dunban ever wants to talk to me again, let alone look at me.” 

“What happened?” Fiora asked as she placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. 

Reyn placed his back against the wall and slid down into a crouch while explaining tiredly, “He asked if anything was bothering me, said I was ‘acting weird’, and I panicked. Before I knew it, he was on the ground. He looked so angry, and I just ran, like a coward.” 

“Aw, Reyn, you’re not a coward,” Fiora comforted, crouching down in front of him to see his downcast expression. 

“Easy for you to say,” Reyn countered as he hid his face in his knees. His cheeks felt warm; both his head and stomach seemed as torn as he was as they fell over themselves trying to run away from his problems too. It all left Reyn feeling ill and angry at the persistent fuzziness that had settled itself within his chest. 

He was going to pass out. 

“Reyn!” Fiora pulled him away from his inner conflict with a shake of his shoulders. She looked distressed but Reyn’s head throbbed before he could puzzle together as to why. He didn’t react when Fiora gently placed a hand on his cheek then whispered with a sad smile, “Reyn, you’re crying. Why are you crying?” 

Every part of Reyn that had been moving stuttered to a halt. Why was he crying? He hadn’t even noticed the now itchy trails marking his cheeks until Fiora had mentioned it. Now that he was aware of himself again, Reyn also noted the uneasy breaths heaving their way out of his chest and the hammering of his pulse throughout his body. 

Yet, the cotton fluff of his heart was still there. It was a begrudging constant against the discord consuming him, but he still hated it. It got worse whenever he messed up around Dunban, it made him feel things that muddled up his thoughts, but it also made every moment they spent together better – more important and intimate. 

But all those feelings were ineffable to him as he wheezed out in a sob, “I don’t know, it just hurts.” 

“What does? Are you hurt?” Fiora asked as she took a handkerchief from her pocket and fretted over his face. 

“Here...” Reyn breathed. He grabbed the front of his shirt on the left side and watched as a look of melancholic understanding developed on Fiora’s face. She joined him against the wall then brought his head onto her shoulder, making him lean at an awkward angle. Reyn felt her hand brush through his hair before she started whispering, “I’m so sorry. I’m so, so sorry.” 

“Why? Why are you sorry? Why does it hurt?” Reyn asked. His breathing continued to stutter while saying, “Why did I agree to this? Dunban probably hates me and it hurts so much. I’ve never felt like this before, it’s so stupid. I wanna go apologise to him but I think my heart is about to burst at the thought of it.” Reyn finished with a sigh before closing his eyes. 

Fiora continued to stroke his hair as sobs wretched themselves from his throat. She hummed soothingly, creating an air of regret, until she answered quietly, “You’re in love Reyn.” 

Fiora bit back tears when Reyn separated himself from her and denied, “What? No!” He gripped his chest and shook his head, “No, please, no. I don’t need to give him another reason to hate me.” 

“He doesn’t hate you,” Fiora countered, “He’s even been looking for you to apologise for freaking you out the other day.” 

“I should be the one apologising,” Reyn said weakly. 

“Then go do it,” she encouraged. Fiora wiped more tears from his face and added in a motherly tone, “I’ve never known you to run away from a problem, especially one involving your friends. And we know Dunban is more than just a friend to you now.” 

“Yeah...” Reyn muttered, hiding his face on top of Fiora’s head. Admitting said feelings aloud made the fuzzy sensation in his chest grow warmer, like a blanket fresh out the dryer was wrapped around his torso. He hugged Fiora from the side bringing her close, resting her head underneath his chin, to say, “I’m so stupid.” 

“Oh no Reyn, don’t-“ Fiora began before Reyn gave her a tighter squeeze. 

He chuckled under his breath, “You’re so smart and so is Dunban... Smarts must run in your family.” 

She snorted at the light-hearted joke then made her own, “I wonder how he’ll react if you compliment him to his face. Probably won’t think he’s smart then.” 

“Why?” Reyn asked, physically perking up at the idea of getting to know something interesting about the older man. 

Fiora smiled, he has it bad, and answered, “You’ll just have to find out by telling him.” 

Reyn made a sound of disappointment and commented, “Come on, that’d be embarrassing.” 

“It would make him really happy though,” she countered then watched as Reyn mulled it over before a resigned look settled on his face. 

“I do still have to apologise, and it would go over better if he was in a good mood,” Reyn reasoned, more to himself than his friend, as a blush dusted his cheeks. 

Fiora laughed and informed him surely, “Well, you can do it tomorrow. His work is being held by Vanea at the moment, so you don’t have to worry about keeping him from anything.” 

“Isn’t this the reason you came to see me? To ask for another favour,” Reyn questioned and gave her a deadpan look when Fiora simply giggled in reply. He leant back and ruffled her hair, “You better be right about this, or I’ll...” He trailed off at the end and went to into thought. What would he do if Dunban rejected him? 

“I’m not! I promise,” Fiora swore, pulling herself from his grip to stare at him seriously. She took one of his hands, “Everything will be fine, Dunban really does care about you.” 

But what if he doesn’t feel the same way? 

(-----x-----) 

Tomorrow came and with it Reyn’s chance to confess to Dunban. 

That was the plan, at least, but fate had other plans as Reyn found himself trying to break up a fight between some of the merchants over the invention of a particularly popular product. A very angry Nopon was currently yelling louder than the crowd, “Homhom is mistaken! Homhom is wrong! Homhom need to stop selling and pay royalties to Nopon Village.” 

A Homs merchant then proceeded to shove his way past Reyn, who had been bodily forcing the two groups apart, almost knocking him over to yell back, “Like hell I will you little Fuzzball, that money is mine!” Reyn righted himself and pushed the guy back without hurting him which garnered his furious attention, “Let go of me! This doesn’t involve you anyway.” 

“Maybe it doesn’t, but I’ve always got time to teach someone manners,” Reyn countered. 

“I’ll show you manners,” the man pulled his arm back to throw a punch until someone grabbed his elbow. The group turned their attention to said ‘someone’ and found Dunban giving the man a warning look to back down. A hush fell on the group, the man dropping his arm, before Reyn called out, “Dunban, you’re finally here!” 

“Yes...” Dunban spoke slowly, still giving the man an unimpressed stare which he wilted under, then met Reyn’s eyes. The younger man cheekily grinned over the myriad of people which Dunban met with a warm smile, perhaps his problem with me has been solved. Thinking about problems, he cast an eye over the crowd and asked, “What seems to be the problem here?” 

Almost everyone gathered began trying to answer his question from their side of the argument, Reyn winced at the volume, while Dunban got annoyed at the group’s disregard for those around them. He held up a hand to quiet the crowd and then directed his question towards an individual, “Reyn, what is going on here?” 

“Uh...” Reyn stalled, posture dropping when the crowd watched him expectantly, “There was something about ownership and royalties, whatever that means. I was kind of just here to stop a fight breaking out.” 

“Dumb ruffian, you almost started a fight,” the man insulted trying to look down his upturned nose at Reyn, but failed due to Reyn’s height. 

“We can still go if you think you can take me,” Reyn challenged with a raised fist, grinning when the man paled. His threat was short-lived, however, as Dunban placed a hand over his balled hand and gently lowered it. The older man noticed how still Reyn went and the way he suddenly refused to meet his gaze, instead choosing to focus on the ground. 

Maybe the problem is still ongoing then. 

Dunban dismissed his own concerns in favour of addressing the crowd. “I suspect that this issue is over the selling of Bitter Melon Buns,” he informed them. After he received some nods, Dunban nodded in thought then continued, “If memory serves me correct, the Nopon merchants started selling them first.” 

“Yay! Nopon get royalties!” One of the Nopon cheered, causing the others to join in, “Dundun is hero.” The man from earlier glowered at their merriment. 

Although, Dunban wasn’t finished, “Although both stalls currently selling them need a lot of specialty resources to bake them, much of which we are ill-supplied in.” He cocked his head to the side, “Perhaps it would be better for the Colony if you stopped selling them.” 

Many arguments sprang up to counter his idea but he ignored them. Dunban shook his head and suggested smugly, “Then I propose that instead of arguing with each other, you work together and pool your resources.” When no one spoke up against the idea, Dunban nodded assuredly and turned his attention elsewhere, “That should be the end of this matter. Reyn, Fiora said that you wanted to see me about something.” 

Reyn’s head shot up and his mouth hung open. Dunban raised his eyebrow. Reyn regained enough composure to nod frantically to which Dunban responded, “Should we go somewhere more private then?” Another nod had them venturing away from the crowd, who erupted into quiet conversation after they left earshot, to slip behind a building. 

The shadow cast by the structure created a sense of isolation and secrecy, but that did little to settle Dunban’s restless companion. Reyn fidgeted on the spot, still unwilling to even look at Dunban. The man in question stood wondering what was on the younger’s mind. Melia told me to wait but I can’t help being concerned over this. 

Reyn opened his mouth to speak but quickly shut it. Instead, he ran an unsteady hand through his own hair – making it messier than it already was – and nervously chuckled, like he had just heard an uncomfortable joke. His face went a light shade of pink, but he had yet to say a word. 

Dunban decided to bite the bullet and ask, “Reyn?” 

“Yeah?” Reyn answered quietly. 

“Why have you been avoiding me since then?” Dunban understood that the short intake of breath the other took meant he’d hit the nail on the head with his question. He gave a sympathetic smile and explained, “I’m not angry with you if that’s what you think. I just want to know that you’re okay.” 

“And what if I’m not?” 

It came as a whisper but it felt like someone had just yelled into his ear. Dunban visibly stalled. Reyn finally looked up at him and his face reflected an inner conflict, his heart out on display for only Dunban to see. He asked again, “What if I’m not okay? What would you do?” 

“What?” Dunban was dumbfounded. He reconsidered everything leading up to this moment but still drew a blank as to how to answer Reyn’s question. He couldn’t answer properly without knowing what was bothering the younger man but he could speak generally, honestly, “I’d do whatever you needed me to.” 

“Really?” Reyn asked hopefully. He placed a hand on his chest, gripping his shirt gently. 

“Whatever you needed, I would do everything in my power to help you through it,” Dunban grabbed the wrist resting on his chest, noting the quickness of Reyn’s pulse. 

“Even if-“ Reyn began before something behind Dunban caught his eye. Wondering what could have interrupted the important exchange the pair were having, Dunban turned to look over his shoulder. He caught a glimpse of some people passing by. A glimpse was all he got though when both sides of his head were grabbed and he was forced to face Reyn. 

A heavy blush marked the younger man’s cheeks, his expression almost fearful, and his hands held a small tremor. Both of these facts, however, were overshadowed for Dunban by the sudden press of Reyn’s lips against his own. 

Is Reyn in love with me?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed this chapter! The next one will be the conclusion! If you liked this one, please write a review! I love reading them. :3


	4. Moments of Truths

Previously on MFRL: 

A heavy blush marked the younger man’s cheeks, his expression almost fearful, and his hands held a small tremor. Both of these facts, however, were overshadowed for Dunban by the sudden press of Reyn’s lips against his own. 

Is Reyn in love with me? 

\--- 

What are they doing here? 

Reyn panicked as he caught sight of Fiora and Melia passing by, linking arms with each other and just being generally lovey-dovey. This fear escalated when Dunban glanced behind him and Reyn’s body went on autopilot. He didn’t even register the heat of the skin under his palms and the dryness of the lips being forced against his own until it was too late. 

Reyn was sure his heart stopped beating. He was going to die even if Dunban didn’t kill him for this first. 

Speaking of Dunban, Reyn realised that the older man had gone still – completely motionless. The look in his eyes was distant, not focused on the man making eye contact with him. Reyn knew he should pull back, stop making a fool of himself, and he meant to but unexpectedly found his body being pressed into the wall behind him. 

Reyn felt his arms and legs go numb and his chest tighten to the point he couldn’t breathe. Dunban moved his arms to hold him around the waist, his hands splayed out over his lower back. His vision was focused on the way that Reyn’s eyelids drooped so that they were half lidded and his face tinted closer and closer to a shade of red. 

Before it could continue, however, Reyn snapped back into the awareness that he had jumped the other and that he hadn’t actually confessed yet and Dunban was kissing him and he was really good at it and it was all happening too fast. 

He really couldn’t breathe now. 

Reyn moved his hands to Dunban’s chest and forced the other to step back. They separated slowly, breathing heavily onto each other’s faces – making Reyn’s cheeks feel even hotter than they already were – until Reyn slumped against the wall and asked through laboured breathing, “What... Are you doing?” 

“I could ask you the same thing,” Dunban commented breathlessly. He used his thumb to rub small circles on Reyn’s hips, making him shiver, and muttered, “You just kissed me.” Dunban allowed a small smile to form on his lips, something akin to hope filtering across his face. 

Hearing it aloud made Reyn fluster. Without thinking, he apologised, “I’m sorry! Not just about kissing you. About everything. About tricking you, about pushing you away, about...” He felt the words catch in his throat as he leant forward to hide his face and grip over his heart, “About falling in love with you.” 

“Tricking me?” Dunban had to ask, despite how his heart clenched at everything else which had been said. He let Reyn flinch away from him, unsure as to what else to do, and questioned in a tone he hoped was void of accusation, “Reyn, what have you done? What are you sorry about?” 

Reyn furiously shook his head and refused, “I can’t tell you.” 

“Why?” Dunban demanded. He remembered Melia’s words of patience but he found himself no longer caring as Reyn shook his head once more, feeling his heart sink when his thoughts insisted he was being played with. He couldn’t stop himself from cradling Reyn’s face, lifting it up so their eyes met, and pleaded softly, “Reyn, please. Be honest with me.” 

Reyn’s breath hitched at his sincerity but couldn’t bring himself to say anything. He wouldn’t betray his friends’ trust, no matter if it hurt the chance of something deeper growing between he and Dunban. Steeling his nerves, Reyn grabbed Dunban’s wrist – hoping his hands weren’t shaking as much as he felt they were – and insisted, “I can’t, I want to but I can’t. I’m sorry.” 

Reyn shoved the other away from him, easier to act like I always do than hurt him anymore, then left Dunban alone in silence. However, as soon as he turned out of view he broke into tears and took off running. 

He deserves better than me anyway. 

(-----X-----) 

“Welcome home!” 

Dunban was greeted by Fiora’s usual cheer and the comforting smell of her cooking as he entered their house. Although, none of it helped to sooth the wound that had been inflicted on his heart that afternoon. He remained silent, sighing only as he sank into the nearest chair he could find. 

Fiora entered from the kitchen, focused on the covered dish in her protected hands, and asked knowingly, “How did it go? Did anything nice happen?” 

“What do you know?” Came the blunt question in reply. 

“Huh?” Fiora lifted her focus to her brother to find him in a sorry state, sinking himself back into their plush chair as far as he could with a scowl. She placed her dish on the nearby table and hurried over to him. Fiora fretted over him, “Did something happen? Are you alright? Is Reyn alrigh-“ 

“No...” Dunban cut her off flatly. He stared up at her and repeated, “What do you know? You know something. What have you been hiding from me?” 

“He told you didn’t he?” Fiora guessed vaguely. 

“He didn’t...” He answered slowly, carefully observing his sister’s reactions, “He kissed me, but couldn’t tell me this ‘trick’ he was pulling on me, which I now know you are involved in.” 

“He kissed you?” Fiora asked in surprise. 

“Yes, then he refused to tell me anything and ran away, again,” he sighed almost wistfully. Fiora would have found it endearing given other circumstances, but in this one she felt awful for both Dunban and Reyn. She took her oven mitts off, leaving them beside the dish, before hugging him while resting lightly on the side of the chair. He leant into the embrace and asked in a tired voice, “Did you know?” 

“Yes, I did,” Fiora admitted sadly. She hugged him closer, “I thought after everything that happened the two of you would be cute together, like how you wanted Shulk and I to be together. But I guess I was wrong...” 

“You weren’t wrong,” Dunban insisted, immediately comforting his downtrodden sister, “But there is something else going on, isn’t there?” Before she could answer, however, there was a knock at the door. Fiora hastily stood from her seat, dusting imaginary dirt from her clothes, then went to open it. 

Dunban waited for her to come back. Although, he became focused on the hushed whispers drifting in from the front door. Alvis’ cool monotone filtered through and caused a quiet, “I believe it may be the time to admit our mistake and tell him, before more harm is done.” 

“I concur, this has gone on long enough and I will have no part in heartbreak,” Melia’s tone was firm. She was the first to walk into the main room, to Dunban’s investigative stare. She gave him a solemn nod before heading to the kitchen with a cloth-covered basket. The remaining trio continued to whisper outside of Dunban’s view, Shulk muttered, “I don’t get it, what’s happened?” 

“I don’t think that is her story to tell,” Alvis answered with a tone of finality. A moment later, his head came around the corner, followed by Shulk and Fiora’s, and he continued, “It’s his... And Reyn’s if he were here.” 

Dunban felt as if he should glare at the other but he used the opportunity to ask, “So you were all involved in this?” 

“Only through association, but yes,” Alvis answered with a shrug. He entered the room fully and took a seat across from Dunban as Fiora and Shulk followed awkwardly. 

“Then who is actually behind this whole thing?” Dunban questioned, casting an unimpressed look at the pair who sank into a sofa near him. 

Fiora refused to meet his eyes by looking at her lap while Shulk answered honestly, “We were.” 

“Why?” Dunban couldn’t help feeling betrayed. 

“Because you were so insistent on Shulk and I being a couple. We got fed up of asking you to listen to us, we don’t like each other like that anymore,” Fiora explained sullenly. She shook her head, “But you wouldn’t listen so we came up with the idea of Reyn distracting you.” 

“Even after you knew?” Dunban questioned in hurt. Fiora went silent. 

“Knew what?” Shulk asked as Melia entered the room holding a tray of steaming tea cups. 

She handed them to the group and seated herself beside the blondes, then joined everyone else in waiting for Dunban to answer. There was a brief quiet, in which Dunban seemed to be thoughtfully looking into his tea, before he spoke, “I have had feelings for Reyn for a while now.” A gasp came from most people in the room, with the expected exception, “I realised as the three of you were growing up together that the two of you were developing feelings for each other. At first, I was worried that Reyn would be left behind, and you would no longer be friends, but he remained the same – happy, loud and always supportive of the two of you.” He smiled, “I admired that part of him, but there was also something more to it. And after you were taken, Fiora, I not only grew to need his positivity more but I also figured out what it was.” 

“It was love,” Alvis mused assuredly. 

“And now that I know he feels the same, I find myself unable to express the extent of my own happiness but I’m also greatly annoyed by this whole mess,” Dunban explained with a sigh. 

The group fell into an awkward silence. Everyone, besides Alvis, was deep in thought while Alvis calmly drank his tea and admire the view outside the window. Before long, Fiora spoke up, “I know that what we did was stupid and wrong, and that it messed with your feelings as well as Reyn’s. I hope you forgive us, but what we did was for the sake of our own happiness in love, so please understand.” 

Dunban smiled lovingly at her, “I apologise for my own mistakes too, but I don’t know if that will be enough to fix this. Reyn avoided me once so I know he can do it again, and most likely will after this.” 

“Then let us help you,” Melia suggested seriously. This was agreed by the rest of the group while Dunban shook his head. 

“I can’t ask you to do that,” he reasoned. 

“Then we’ll do it for Reyn, he wants this too – even with all the running away,” Fiora countered. More agreement came room others in the room. 

Dunban was about to argue once more but was stopped when he realised how determined they were to help. The thought settled a warmth in his chest. He sighed in defeat, “So, what are we going to do?” 

(-----X-----) 

Reyn sat atop the hill overlooking the Colony as the sun set over the horizon. 

The scene in front of him was cast in a myriad of pinks, reds, oranges and yellows, making the sky like a slowly dancing flame. The Colony seemed serene in the mellow light of the evening sun – quiet even before the night. A breeze had also made its home on the hill and caressed the blades of grass in a rippled pattern until they reached an obstacle. 

It was peaceful. 

However, it meant nothing to his discordant heart. 

He hugged his legs closer to his chest as a colder wind shot across the hilltop. Reyn shivered but refused to leave the solitude of the field for the warmth of the buildings of the Colony. He knew what would happen if he ran into Dunban now... 

His heart wouldn’t be able to take it. 

He rested his chin atop his knees and watched as the last sliver of daylight slipped below the horizon. Reyn was alone. Not even the sun wanted to be near him, no one around to hear him mutter to himself, “This is pathetic.” It was, but Reyn couldn’t find the energy to change his situation nor the will. 

He knew that he had messed up any chance of having a relationship with Dunban. At this point he would simply settle for the other man being able to look at him without being disgusted by how much of a screw-up he was. 

Reyn was so lost in his self-loathing that he failed to notice careful steps making their way up the hill towards him. Neither did he see the man walking up beside him until there was a person sat against his side. He was startled away from his thoughts to see the very subject of them sat beside him, looking out across the darkened view of the landscape. 

Reyn felt his heart stutter. Dunban looked content, if not conflicted, sat on the grass, leaning back on his hands with his legs bent slightly at the knee out in front of him. His hair blew gently in the breeze but never fell onto his face. He looked perfect, but why is he here? 

Dunban chuckled quietly. He turned his focus away from the horizon to give Reyn a regretful smile, “Always straight to the point aren’t you?” 

Reyn realised what he’d done and hid his face, “Sorry, didn’t mean to be an idiot.” 

“You’re not an idiot,” Dunban countered without hesitation. Reyn lifted his head, “If anyone is an idiot here, it’s me.” 

“Like hell you are,” Reyn shot back. Dunban was taken aback at the certainty in his voice, surprise evident on his face. Reyn got annoyed when he tried to argue, “I don’t care, okay. I like you a lot, and I think you’re smart. Isn’t that enough?” 

“It might be enough...” Dunban answered thoughtfully, his gaze trailing back to the view. 

Reyn watched him for a few moments but couldn’t help asking, “Why are you here? Why do you keep coming back even though I keep pushing you away?” 

Silence followed his question. Dunban continued to survey the view with a thoughtful expression while Reyn watched, and waited, for his reaction of what he expected to be anger. 

Eventually, Dunban let out a long, tired sigh. He slumped back, putting more weight on his arms, “We’ve all been out looking for you.” 

“Huh?” 

“I went home. I was supposed to bring you for lunch with everyone,” he explained with a small chuckle, “Although, you seemed to have other plans when you ran off.” 

“Sorry...” Reyn muttered. 

Dunban shook his head, “I was angry, yes, but not at you. I was angry about the fact that despite my feelings being reciprocated, you were afraid to accept it because of that deal you made with my sister and Shulk.” 

“You know about that, huh?” Reyn asked as he hid his face again. 

“I do,” Dunban answered. He sighed, not in tiredness but in a mirthful way, “But that no longer matters, if you can do one thing for me.” 

“What?” 

“Tell me, honestly, whether you want me to kiss you right now,” Dunban instructed with a knowing smile. 

“Huh?” Reyn blurted out of reflex. Dunban leaned closer shifting his position to box Reyn in with his arms as the younger leaned back, not sure what to do as Dunban answered him. 

“Can I kiss you?” Dunban whispered. He smirked at the lack of bravado in Reyn’s mannerisms in that moment. The younger couldn’t look away as he made their foreheads touch, “Can I hold you? Embrace you? Make you feel everything I have been keeping within myself all this time? All my love for you.” 

Reyn felt his heart stop, breath hitching along with it, at the vulnerable and sincere expression on Dunban’s face. He watched anxiously as Dunban waited for his reply, but found himself unable to speak. 

As moments in which the only sound he could hear the sound of Dunban breathing, along with the ringing in his ears, stretched by, Reyn was sure he had forgotten how to breathe. Then Dunban closed his eyes and whispered pleadingly, “Please... Please, just push me away now if you don’t want this. My heart can’t take much more of this.” 

“Then come closer...” Dunban heard before arms wrapped around his neck and he was pulled closer to the ground. He opened his eyes to see Reyn, red-faced and nervous, giving him an expectant look. 

Taking the invitation he had been given, Dunban closed the gap between them. The light press of lips was enough to pull a sigh from his throat. 

This was enough. 

This was more than he’d ever hoped for. 

And he knew the sentiment was shared as Reyn pulled him closer. The two finally falling together under the star covered sky.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late update, Uni has been mayhem!  
> Hope you guys enjoyed this story. I really like this pairing so I hope that this isn't the only fic I'll be writing for it.  
> Until next time, <3.

**Author's Note:**

> I've wanted to write something about these two since I finished the game in August.
> 
> Don't know if anyone is going to read this, but I had fun writing it.


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